US waiver row: BJP flags UPA-era cuts in Iranian crude imports

NEW DELHI: BJP on Friday raised the "significant reduction" in India's crude oil import from Iran during the UPA government's tenure that prompted the US administration to grant the country an "exception" from its sanctions, as it hit back at Congress for criticising govt for its alleged servility to the US in terms of its oil purchase from Russia.

Asking whether Congress had "any shame", BJP shared a communication from US secretary of state John Kerry dated June 5, 2013. "China, India, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Taiwan have again qualified for an exception to sanctions outlined in section 1245 of the National Defense Authorisation Act for FY 2012, based on additional significant reductions in the volume of their crude oil purchases from Iran or for reducing those purchases to zero and remaining there," he had said.




An earlier statement from Hillary Clinton, his predecessor, had offered a similar reprieve on June 11, 2012.

"Congress-led UPA was in power then. So, sit down," BJP's Amit Malviya said. He posted Clinton's statement on X that read, "Today I made the determination that seven economies - India, Malaysia, Korea, S Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Taiwan - have all reduced their volume of crude oil purchases from Iran. As a result, I will report to the Congress that sanctions... will not apply to their financial institutions for a potentially renewable period of 180 days."
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